


between ice cream and a few sweat drops ; welcome summer love

by smoll_jane



Series: welcome summer love [1]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Bicycles, Childhood Friends, Coming of Age, Day At The Beach, M/M, Platonic Relationships, Summer, Walks On The Beach, a trip to the library yeet, basically just an ode to summer, friends or lovers it's up to you, two bros chilling during summer, what exactly are hansol and seungkwan? no one knows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-05-12 12:15:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19228945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smoll_jane/pseuds/smoll_jane
Summary: This one is basically just a love declaration to summer.Or a simple day during summer with Hansol and Seungkwan.





	between ice cream and a few sweat drops ; welcome summer love

**Author's Note:**

> because i always dreamt to write about my love for summer, and minghao told it ; dreams come true  
> summer starts in a few days and i hope this short text could make you look forward to it.

  
In the morning, birds are still chirping, the dew is still adorning flowers and grass. The sun is rising, will soon heat the whole world - _his_ world up, making the sweat drip, the cheeks reden. He loves that. He loves these long days, spent hidden in the shadow or in front of a fan, doing his best to avoid the heatwave. He loves having the perfect excuse to stay home.

But Hansol has another idea when he knocks at his door this morning. Seungkwan opens, still sleepy, already fanning himself with a hand, yawning. His friend's bicycle is lying in the grass a few steps behind, his cheeks are tinted with pink, the color of enthusiasm and projects. The smile he gives him tells a lot, and Seungkwan doesn't even protest at the untold order to get dressed. A short-sleeved loose shirt should not keep him too hot, and a few minutes later his old bike already creaks out the garage.

"So, where we going?, asks Seungkwan, leisurely pedaling, contemplating the trees passing by and the sun playing through their leaves.

-I have books to give back to the library.

-The library?!"

Hansol giggles, stands on his pedals and accelerates to outrun Seungkwan and his insurgency, wind inflating his tank top and stroking his hair. He can hear his friend screaming "But it's all the way up the hill!" and can't help but smile, imagining the desperate look he's throwing him. "It can't kill us Boo! And the downhill will be that more cool!" Seungkwan sighs and smiles, glad that Hansol can't see how easily he admits defeat. His positivity is one of the things he most likes about him. Something they didn't have in common when the met but contaminates him a bit more every day, making him a bit better. Hansol never gives up, that's the first ever rule. Hansol never gives up and always pulls Seungkwan up.

The hill is in fact not so high, and the sun isn't even completely up in the unspoilt azure sky when they reach the top. Standing in all its majesty, the library is ready to welcome them, still desert at this early hour. Later, it will abound with students working on their thesis or summer classes, families looking for a cultural activity, teenagers in quest of an air-conditioned place to hang out. But for now, there's just Hansol repudiating to give back his astronomy books and Seungkwan hardly following him, out of breath. "But I can lend you the books again if you want to keep them.", tells the librarian at the view of Hansol's pout. It quickly transforms in a bright smile as he energetically nods, already opening his backpack to put his treasure in it. Seungkwan squeals, knowing it means a new escapade to the hill later in the summer, hotter, longer, harder. He's about to let a victory scream when the librarian announces the return date on a day he'll be back in Busan, then remembers it means he won't see Hansol for a few weeks and lets his lips curve down.

Backpack closed, smiles back, Seungkwan elbows his friend with a shy smile. "If you extend the loan I could come with you to give them back the next time." Hansol's smile grows bigger, the slap he initially wanted to give Seungkwan in the back turns in a gentle squeeze, and the library doors open again. It took nothing more than a few minutes for the sun to perch high in the sky, sprinkling his powerful rays on the asphalt. "Ah... why is it so hot? It's not even noon!" His shirt already feels too heavy, his hair too thick. But Seungkwan still gets on his bike, ready to follow today's guide to the end of the world if that's what he wants. His stomach gurgles and he realizes he didn't have breakfast. A shared look in response of Hansol's chuckling and they rush down the slope, happy to feel the crazy storm blowing their hair off and filling in their lungs. No one on the roads nor the sidewalks, no one to make the slow down. Seungkwan grips on his handlebar and gathers courage to stand on his pedals and scream. It vanishes, goes join the shy and tiny clouds trying to take place under the sun, mixes with Hansol who imitates his friend and bursts out laughing when the happy scream turns in a scared one as he sees a cat in the middle of the road. The unbothered pet slowly frees the passage and remains jaded at his avoided death.

"The slope is too short, that's not fun, complains the blonde when they stop their bikes in front of a convenience store.

-That's not what you said when we had to go up though.

-I don't hear you! You keep the bikes?"

Hansol nods and sits on the shadowed pavement. The door bell rings when Seungkwan pushes it open, shivering at the temperature transition. Hansol would love the song played for sure. He hums to it while wandering in front of the freezers, taking his time to choose some drinks, enjoying the cold air. A young girl eyes him from the counter, switching from her magazine to him, chewing a gum. A Capri-Sun and a peach iced tea later, the bell rings again and a familiar voice makes him turn to the entry. "Woaaah I love this song!" Seungkwan's eyes widen as he assists at Hansol's slow dance steps. "And the bikes? Who's watching them?" He can't retain a giggle at the boy's show and for a little while he could almost join him. When he stops, Hansol yawns and stretches his limbs, smiling at the way Seungkwan tiptoes to see the outside of the store.

"I locked them.

-But you don't have a locker?

-Oh yeah I do. Mom bought me one, she said one stolen bicycle is enough of a loss. You want money?

-Wait, your lost bike was STOLEN?

-You didn't answer, you want money?"

Seungkwan shakes his head, Hansol giggles, it's as simple as that. They're about to go to the counter when a Girls Generation song starts and immediately makes the eldest's eyes sparkle. In a fingersnap, he finds himself dancing between snacks and instant noodles, quickly joined by Hansol and his laugh. Their sneakers perfectly slide on the tiling, their hands perfectly fit together to enjoy the rhythm. At some point, their fingers intertwine, their gazes change. From outside, no one could notice it, but they do. It's their world, their universe. Seungkwan and Hansol, Hansol and Seungkwan. Their hearts race from the effort when the cashier clears her throat and interrupts them. "Guys, it's either you pay or you get out. You're not on a dancefloor and I'm not a DJ." Her tone is cold, but there's a smile on her lips. The hands leave each other, one's breath is caught. Seungkwan pays for the drinking and a chocolate bar, they go back under the burning sun. It seems like wherever they go, it always catches them up. The shadow they arrived in left, the bitumen heats up. No one can escape the sun.

"What about we leave the bikes here? We could walk." Hansol agrees with a nod, digs his straw to sip on his Capri Sun and leads the way. The more they advance in the streets, the more the salty ocean scent invades the space. It seems like today, most people decide to stay home in the fresh air, no one dares to go out. Their steps resonate in the neighborhoods to bounce against the buildings. Seungkwan talks about the last school day, Hansol listens. The bottles empty, the temperature increase, the bellies scream hunger. As they get closer to the sea, looming on the horizon between two blocks of flat, the discussion turns towards their menu.

"I want tteokbokki! Please Kwan...

-But we already had it last week! What about seafood stew?", whines Seungkwan, pouting and blinking like a child.

They end up with fried on the beach. "It's too hot for real food", finally complained the eldest, Hansol not failing to tell him snacks are real food, gaining an elbow shot followed by laughters. Fries always taste different depending on the place. Not on where you buy them, but on where you eat them. Today, in front of the peaceful ocean, they have a little something of playgrounds and skinned knees. Hansol always prefered the swing while Seungkwan couldn't leave the turnstile. He said it made him tipsy, "like an adult who drank alcohol". Later, under the school sportyard bleachers, they discovered the bitterness of scotch and promised each other to never taste it ever again.

The ocean brings them a light breeze, still hot but not unpleasant. Even the waves are too drained by the sun to give the few swimmers a proper amusement. When a kid trips and falls face first in the sand, Hansol laughs, gets a slap on the arm for mocking the "poor child" and laughs even more. He turns the head to hide his mouth and sees the grin on Seungkwan's face too. Caught red-handed, they both burst out laughing, remembering the time they were themselves at the kid's place. A lot of tears that never lasted long, gravel that their mothers spent hours to take out their hands or knees, sunburns.

Loosing himself in the contemplation of the deep blue water, far away, Hansol whispers "I really like summer". Seungkwan nods, realizes Hansol won't see it and hums in approval, rubs his nape because it burns. After a few minutes, he takes his shoes off and runs to the shore, spreading the arms, careful to not imitate the kid. They're almost adults, after all. At least when it suits them. The water is way more cold he thought and he can't hold back a high-pitched scream, blushing when he hears Hansol's laugh, who followed him. But the embarrassment disappear as soon as he sees his smile, and he rolls up the bottom of his pants to go further in the water. Hansol overtakes him like a rocket, not bothered to be wet since he's wearing shorts and splashes Seungkwan. Almost adults? He wouldn't say it like that. Seungkwan would develop a whole speech about maturity and keeping an inner-child, but Hansol prefers to think they'll stay kids forever.

The ocean built a barricade around them, and they forget the heat, sweat and their supposed wise age. Hansol chases Seungkwan with a crab, their pants end up completely soaked, the faces stay lit up with smiles. The sand sticks to their feet when they finally come back to the beach, out of breath, arms, face and napes heated up. Hansol knows it will end up tanning and Seungkwan will complain and ask for the nth time why it only burns for him. And then, they'll spend a whole day in Seungkwan's bedroom to let the sunburns fade, playing videogames, watching cartoons, making weird voices with the fan, eating ice cream as only meal.

Ice cream. Once their feet dry, able to put their shoes back on, the boys wander in the streets. Seungkwan wants ice cream, Hansol tells him it would melt. And that's true. The recognizable sound of wind in trees makes the both of them share a significant look as they end up at a park entrance. Shadow, natural chill, comfortable green grass. It's almost calling them, begging them to have a break. Younger, Seungkwan used to ask Hansol if he could lie his head on his stomach, but now it's almost a ritual. It wouldn't be the same if Hansol couldn't stroke his hair until they both fall asleep, inventing constellations names through the twigs, an arm in the air to trace the links. Seungkwan listens, smiles, tries to remember the new names, adds them to the endless list. The wind melody and Hansol's recitation rock them, soon taking them to Neverland.

When the Lost Boys come back in London, the sun begins its descent and the brushwood projection show ended. Seungkwan yawns, straightens up to free Hansol. His sleepy smile has always been the one he prefers. Stretching their numb limbs, yawning again and again, trying to understand where they are and what time it is. The heat left for today, the dusk is coming for them with its sweet and peaceful atmosphere. Helping each other to get up, staying hand in hand for a few meters. Still not fully awake, Seungkwan's heart skips a beat. "Where are our bikes?!" Hansol's lips stretch in an amused smile and he pats the blonde's shoulder, shaking the head. "We left them at the store, remember?" A huge relief sigh, a smile because of his oblivion. It doesn't take long to reach the beach, empty from life. Shy waves stroke the abandonned sand, the last sun rays are saying goodbye on the skyline. They will miss him. Until tomorrow when everything will start again. With no consultation, they take off their shoes to not let the ocean alone. When they were eight, Seungkwan cried because the ocean was always lonely at night, because when the sun wasn't there, no one liked the ocean. And Hansol sat feet in the water, lost in contemplation, explaining with an unhidden passion how lively the ocean was at night. He talked about the fishes, the crabs, the seastars, the algae, and all the little people of the ocean. Seungkwan stopped crying, and he started loving the ocean at night. It's his favorite time of the day. Dusk, when everything soothes, the eve of something new, the end of so much things. The sky color, the perfume, the vibe. As they grew up, Hansol understood this love for dusk without Seungkwan having to explain it. Because it can't be explained. It's in the air, in the atmosphere. Day letting its throne to night for a few hours.

Letting the ocean in good company, saying goodbye, sinking in the streets darkness. A cat, on the road. Maybe it's the same as this morning, at least it has the same nonchalant behavior, leisurely grooming himself, reckless of an eventual danger. Hansol waves at him, Seungkwan smiles. Crazy how many smiles in a day are caused by Hansol. He should count, someday. The convenience store is further than he remembered and he almost lets out a victory scream when they distinguish the neon lights illuminating the street and seeming to be waiting for them. "I'm hungry", says Hansol, already on his way to enter. "I hope they still have good music." And they do. But the cashier is not a teenager anymore and turned in a scary looking old man. Seungkwan holds himself from even humming to SHINee's last song and follows Hansol to the ice cream section. Chocolate and vanilla for one, cookies and cream for the other. The faster they get out of here, the more comfortable they'll feel. While paying, they share an awkward smile, and burst out laughing as soon as the door closes behind them when they step outside.

A light breeze accompany them home as they savour their loot, walking next to their bikes. The way home is what Hansol prefers. He could be sad about it, but he knows there's always a tomorrow, the sun will shine again. The tyres grind on the concrete, filling in the empty streets. The streetlights elongate their shadows, make them look like videogames characters. There once was a time when he was afraid of it, but as he got used to his own shadow, he decided she was his ally. His shield, his protector. Seungkwan contributed to his confidence building, showing him their shadows could dance, just like them, in an even funnier way. He always smiles at the memory of their shadow fights. Fighting on the cement, laughing in reality, tickling each other when it looked like kicks as projection.

Ice cream sticks free, legs tired, it's time to say goodbye. Hansol will keep going, Seungkwan will run to his window to watch him until he disappears in the depths of the neighborhood. After a goodnight picture of the stars, one last joke, they will both try to fall asleep in the heavy heat they didn't notice when they were together. The slumber will finally catch up on them and lead them to a new day.

"Don't forget to put some lotion on your sunburns.

-And cleanse the place the crab pinched you! We could watch Peter Pan tomorrow?"

Hansol nods, smiles, waves. Seungkwan smiles, waves, turns around. A door closes, a bicycle rides in the silent streets, and everything will start again as the sun comes up.

Because there's always a tomorrow.

 

**Author's Note:**

> to christine : i dedicate this one to you. thank you for always being the amazing friend you are, and thank you for being in my life ♡


End file.
